1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an extruded product which is formed by extrusion molding, continues in a longitudinal direction, and has a decoration layer on the surface of an extruded product body. More particularly, the present invention concerns an extruded product which is formed by extrusion molding, such as a weather strip for a vehicle and vehicle for providing a seal between an opening in a vehicle body and a door of a vehicle or a trunk lid, or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
An extruded product such as a weather strip for a vehicle is formed by extrusion molding. In this case, after extrusion molding is effected by using a material such as synthetic rubber, a thermoplastic elastomer, or the like, in the case of the synthetic rubber the extruded piece is vulcanized in a vulcanizing device to thereby form the extruded product. After the extruded product is then cut to a predetermined size, corner portions and the like are formed by injection molding, and a product such as a weather strip for a vehicle is thereby obtained (e.g., refer to JP-A-6-106597 (pp. 3-5, FIG. 4)).
In the case of the weather strip for the vehicle, its body is generally formed of synthetic rubber or a thermoplastic elastomer, in which case the body is frequently formed in black in the light of the relationship of compounding materials.
However, products having various surface patterns and colors have come to be required for the purpose of matching with interior products in the vehicle compartment and for improving the appearance. Also, the provision of special materials on the surface has also come to be required for the purpose of improving weather resistance, chemical resistance, and the like.
Due to the above-described requirements, it has been practiced to provide a fabric, a skin material, or a colored decoration layer on the surface of the body of the extruded product of the weather strip for a vehicle.
To provide the decoration layer on the surface of the body of the extruded product, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a weather strip body 51, which serves as the extruded product body formed by extrusion molding and vulcanized in a vulcanizing device (not shown), is subjected to preforming so as to be slightly bent by a primary preforming machine 2. An adhesive or a primer is then applied onto the weather strip body 51 by using an adhesive or by a primer application machine. In addition, a decoration layer is extruded in sheet form onto the weather strip body 51 by an extruding die 40 connected to an extrusion molding machine 10. Subsequently, a decoration layer 157 extruded into sheet form is press fitted to the weather strip body 51 by a laminating machine 160, thereby allowing the decoration layer 157 to be bonded to the weather strip body 51. Furthermore, a weather strip 50 which has been cooled in a cooling device 5 is taken up onto a takeup machine 6 (e.g., JP-A-8-174620 (pp. 2-4, FIGS. 1-4)).
Subsequently, the weather strip 50 is cut to a predetermined size, and corner portions and the like are subjected to injection molding, if necessary, thereby obtaining the product.
In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, a fine pattern, such as an embossed pattern 157c, is provided on the surface of the decoration layer 157 to obtain a subdued vision by suppressing the gloss for the purpose of matching with interior products in the vehicle compartment and also to improve the tactile feel. However, if the embossed pattern is only provided, the pattern is monotonous, making it impossible to obtain a sufficient aesthetic quality or tactile feel. In addition, to produce a sense of high quality, there were those in which, instead of the decoration layer 157, a flocked fabric, a fabric of thick cloth, or the like is conventionally adhered to surfaces of a trim part 52 and a cover lip 53 of the weather strip body 51 so as to produce a sense of high quality.
However, the adhesion of the flocked fabric, the fabric of thick cloth, or the like requires a flocking or adhering process separately from the extrusion process of the weather strip body 51, so that many facilities are required and much time, trouble and cost are involved.